Like most people, I have other interests apart from web design. In fact, one of the reasons I started creating websites was because I wanted to build a website that displayed some of my artwork.
Although originally I was going to scan my paintings to put them on a website, I got interested in digital art and found that I could quickly produce ideas using a 3d rendering software, plus some suitable 3d models. The result was a website called Spacejetters which was mainly sci-fi and fantasy type art. (You can visit the site at www.spacejetters.co.uk) I also invited some other sci-fi artists who were willing to showcase some of their art also.
Over a decade has passed since I first designed and built that website, and it really hasn't changed that much. So I have decided to update it soon and move everything over to Wordpress. This way I can update it easier and add extra content more often.
There are a few other sites I have still to develop yet having registered quite a few domain names in the past, but never got around to developing them. But I also have interests in Photography, travel and a couple of other subjects which I would like to build sites around.
Of course, when you build a website based on your hobby, it's not really cost effective, unless you monetise the site somehow.
There are a couple of ways you can do this.
1. Join an affiliate program of a merchant who sells items related to your hobby.
example: if your website is about gardening you could join a merchant who sells gardening tools and write an article that describes the merits of using their tools rather than another company. By adding a affiliate link you could make a commission from any sales that have involved customers coming from your website via the affiliate link.
2. You could join Google's AdSense program and add their contextual adverts to your site using the code that they provide. Basically, the same applies as above. If someone clicks on a sponsored ad link, you earn a small commission, even if the visitor doesn't buy anything.
One other option is to write some kind of ebook that is a helpful guide about your hobby and sell it on your site.
To find out more about how you can make money from your website there are a number of articles on the website www.makingmoneyonline-uk.com which you may find helpful.
